Manhole ventilator



P 17, 1957 c. J. CARROLL 2,806,417

MANHOLE VENTILATOR Filed Aug. 10, v 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig./

Clarence J. Carroll INVENTOR.

Sept. 17, 1957 c. J. CARROLL 5,

MANHOLE VENTILATOR Filed Aug. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A munmnln IClarence J. Carroll 5g INVENTOR.

BY w mm United States Patent Office 2,806,417 Patented Sept. 17, 1957MANHOLE VENTILATOR Clarence J. Carroll, Carlinville, Ill.

Application August 10, 1955, Serial No. 527,581

3 Claims. (Cl. 98--1) The present invention relates to new and usefulimprovements in ventilators of a type designed particularly for use in amanhole for ventilating underground tunnels or passages.

An important object of the invention is to provide a ventilatorembodying a plurality of vanes supported on a vertical shaft in aposition to project partly above and partly below the manhole to deflectwind currents downwardly into the tunnel or passage.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for easily andquickly adjusting the direction of the vanes in accordance with thedirection of the wind.

A still further object is to provide a collapsible ventilator of thischaracter.

An additional object is to provide a device of this character of simpleand practical construction, which is eflicient and reliable inoperation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, easy to set up inoperative position in a manhole and which is otherwise well adapted forthe purpose for which the same is intended.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View;

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2of Figure -1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 44 of Figure3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the locking collar for the vanes.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein, for the purpose ofillustration, I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention,the numeral 5 designates a shaft which is threaded at each end, and theshaft is suspended in a vertical position in a manhole 6 by extendingthe upper end of the shaft through an opening 7 in a cross-bar 8 andwith a wing wt 9 threaded on the upper end of the shaft to support theshaft below the cross-bar. The cross-bar 8 is placed on top of the siderails 10 of a conventional type of manhole guard designated generally at11 and the cross-bar 8, with the shaft 5 suspended therefrom, is placedin a position on the guard 11 so that the lower end of the shaft extendsdownwardly partly into the tunnel or passageway .12 for which themanhole is provided. 1

A plurality of vanes 13 of, substantially rectangular shape are formedat one longitudinal edge with bearings 14 in which the shaft 5 ispositioned to rotate or turn the vanes thereon. A wing nut 15 isthreaded on the lower end of shaft 5 to support the vanes on the lowerportion of the shaft and with the lower ends of the vanes extendingdownwardly into the manhole 6.

The vanes 13 are locked in a predetermined angularly related positionwith respect to each other on the shaft, preferably at angles of asshown in Figure 4 of the drawings, by means of a locking collar 16rotatably and slidably mounted on the shaft and having downwardlyprojecting teeth 17 at its underside with which the upper edges of thevanes 13 are engaged for locking engagement therewith.

A sleeve 18 extends upwardly from collar 16 and over which the lower endof a coil spring 19 is inserted to rest on top of the collar .16. Theupper end of the spring 19 bears against the underside of the cross-bar8 and is tensionally adjusted by the upper wing nut 9 to hold the collar16 lockably engaged with the wing.

A stop pin 20 is inserted transversely through shaft 5 under the lockingcollar 16 and above the vanes 13 to limit downward movement of the stopcollar on the shaft by the spring and to hold the locking collar on theupper portion of the shaft while the vanes are being mounted orrotatably adjusted on the lower portion thereof.

In the operation of the device, the vanes 13, looking collar 16, andspring 19 are assembled on the shaft 5 and attached to the cross-bar 8in the manner illustrated in Figures 1 and 3 of the drawing. Thecross-bar 8 is then placed on the upper rails 10 of the manhole guard 11to support the lower portion of the vanes in the manhole 6. The vanes 13are turned in a direction to deflect Wind currents downwardly throughthe manhole into the tunnel or passage thereunder to provide ventilationtherefor.

The vanes 13 are adjusted in accordance with the direction of the wind,from a position below the vanes, by loosening the lower wing nuts 15 anddropping the vanes 13 downwardly on the shaft sufliciently to free theupper edges of the vanes from the locking collar 16 and the vanes maythen be turned in the desired direction and again lockably engaged withthe locking collar 16 by tightening the lower wing nut 50.

The vanes 13, locking collar 16 and spring 19 may be easily and quicklyremoved from the shaft, as well as from the cross-bar 8 for convenientlycarrying or storing the ventilator.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous mod: ifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A ventilator for a manhole of an underground passage comprising incombination, a vertical stationary shaft, a plurality of vanes slidablyand swingably supported in a radial projecting position on the shaft,means carried by the shaft above the vanes for locking the vanes inswingably adjusted position, means at the upper end of the shaftsupporting the vanes in a position partly above 3 and partly below amanhole, and means at the lower end of the shaft supporting the vanes inengagement with the locking means and adapted for releasing from aposition in an underground passage below the vanes to adjust the vaneson the shaft.

2. The combination of claim 1, said first named means comprising amember interlocking with said vanes and slidable on the shaft out ofinterlocking position to permit swingable adjustment of the vanes.

3. The combination of claim .1, said second named means comprising ahorizontal bar suspending said shaft, and supporting rails for said barelevating the same.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Owens Sept. 11, 1877 Craig Nov. 19, 1895 DoellSept. 13, 1921 Knowles Aug. 7, 1928 Zwerling Jan. 1, 1935 Smith Jan. 7,1941 Svebel Aug. 9, 1955 Silverman Oct. 16, 1956

